AMD Radeon HD 7970M vs AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The single head-to-head measurement recorded in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and it produces a decisive result. The AMD Radeon HD 7970M scores 17019 points, while the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 scores 12525 points. That gives the HD 7970M a 35.9% advantage, a substantial margin that places the older discrete mobile part well ahead of the newer integrated graphics solution in compute workloads.

Looking at the nearest rivals for each card puts this result in context. The HD 7970M sits within a tight cluster of high-performance parts: it trails the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 by only 0.1%, with that rival scoring 17037. It is 0.4% behind the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, which scores 17083, and 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla M4, which scores 16932. The gap to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is slightly larger at 1.1%, with that card scoring 17208. In other words, the HD 7970M's OpenCL score places it in the same performance band as much newer discrete GPUs, despite its 2012 release date.

The RX Vega 11, by contrast, anchors itself in a lower tier. Its 12525 OpenCL score is not directly compared to its nearest rivals in that specific test, but its average benchmark score across all recorded tests is 14385. That average places it within 0.1% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN, which averages 14373, and 0.1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M, which averages 14404. The RX Vega 11 also sits 0.2% above the AMD Radeon Vega 11 (the same chip under a different name) and 0.5% above the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics, which averages 14315.

The RX Vega 11 does have additional benchmark data beyond OpenCL. In Geekbench Metal, it scores 17086, which is actually higher than the HD 7970M's OpenCL result. In Geekbench Vulkan, it scores 13543. However, the HD 7970M has no recorded Metal or Vulkan scores, and the RX Vega 11 has no recorded OpenCL score above its own 12525 result. The only directly comparable test is OpenCL, and there the HD 7970M wins by a wide margin.

The average benchmark score tells a similar story. The HD 7970M's average is 17019, identical to its single OpenCL result, since that is the only benchmark recorded for it. The RX Vega 11's average is 14385, pulled down by its lower OpenCL and Vulkan scores. The percentage difference between their averages is approximately 18.3% in favor of the HD 7970M. The percentile rankings reinforce this: the HD 7970M sits at the 60th percentile among all GPUs, while the RX Vega 11 sits at the 56th percentile.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear winner for raw compute performance: the AMD Radeon HD 7970M. Its OpenCL score of 17019 beats the RX Vega 11's 12525 by 35.9%, and it holds its own against much newer discrete GPUs, coming within 1.1% of the RTX 3070 and within 0.4% of the RX 7600 XT. For anyone running OpenCL workloads, the HD 7970M is the stronger choice by a wide margin.

However, the RX Vega 11 is not without merit. Its Metal score of 17086 exceeds the HD 7970M's OpenCL score, suggesting that on Apple's Metal API, the integrated part can deliver competitive performance. Its Vulkan score of 13543 also shows respectable capabilities, though the HD 7970M has no recorded Vulkan result to compare against. The RX Vega 11 also supports newer API versions: DirectX 12 (12_1) versus DirectX 12 (11_1) on the HD 7970M, and Vulkan 1.3 versus Vulkan 1.2.170.

The power envelope is another differentiator. The RX Vega 11 draws 15 W, while the HD 7970M draws 100 W. That is a substantial difference, and it matters for mobile or compact systems where thermal and power budgets are tight. The RX Vega 11 is an integrated graphics processor, requiring no separate power connectors and fitting into an IGP slot, while the HD 7970M is an MXM module with a dedicated board.

For users who need maximum OpenCL throughput and have the power budget to support a discrete GPU, the HD 7970M is the clear pick. For users who prioritize low power consumption, API modernity, and the simplicity of integrated graphics, the RX Vega 11 is the more practical option. The benchmark data cannot judge which is "better" overall, only which wins in specific tests, and the HD 7970M wins the only direct comparison.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different generations of AMD's Graphics Core Next architecture. The HD 7970M uses GCN 1.0, built on the Wimbledon chip, while the RX Vega 11 uses GCN 5.0, built on the Picasso chip. This represents a significant architectural leap, with the Vega design incorporating updates across multiple GCN revisions.

The manufacturing process differs considerably. The HD 7970M is fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC, while the RX Vega 11 is fabricated on a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries. Despite this, the die sizes are nearly identical: the HD 7970M measures 212 mm², and the RX Vega 11 measures 210 mm². The transistor counts, however, tell a different story. The HD 7970M packs 2,800 million transistors, while the RX Vega 11 contains 4,940 million. This yields a transistor density of 13.2 million per mm² for the HD 7970M versus 23.5 million per mm² for the RX Vega 11, reflecting the denser 12 nm process.

The compute resources are heavily skewed toward the HD 7970M. It has 1,280 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The RX Vega 11 has 704 shading units, 44 TMUs, and only 8 ROPs. These differences explain the performance gap in raw throughput. The HD 7970M delivers 27.20 GPixel/s pixel rate and 68.00 GTexel/s texture rate, while the RX Vega 11 delivers 11.20 GPixel/s and 61.60 GTexel/s. The FP32 compute is also higher on the HD 7970M at 2.176 TFLOPS versus 1.971 TFLOPS for the RX Vega 11. The RX Vega 11 does offer FP16 at 3.942 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, while the HD 7970M has no recorded FP16 capability.

Memory architecture diverges sharply. The HD 7970M has 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 256 bit bus, providing 153.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX Vega 11 relies on system shared memory, with bandwidth listed as system dependent. This gives the HD 7970M a major advantage in memory-bound workloads, as dedicated high-bandwidth VRAM is generally faster than shared system memory.

Clock speeds are recorded differently. The HD 7970M lists a memory clock of 1200 MHz (4.8 Gbps effective) but has no base or boost clock in the database. The RX Vega 11 has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 1400 MHz. The boost clock, combined with the Vega architecture's efficiency, partially compensates for the lower shading unit count, but not enough to overcome the HD 7970M's hardware advantage.

The API support favors the RX Vega 11. It supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3, while the HD 7970M supports DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. Both support OpenGL 4.6. The RX Vega 11 also has a more modern generation designation: Vega IGP (Picasso) versus London (HD 7900M) for the HD 7970M. The release dates are far apart: the HD 7970M launched in April 2012, and the RX Vega 11 launched in July 2019.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher OpenCL score?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7970M scores 17019 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 scores 12525. The HD 7970M is 35.9% faster in this test.

Q: How does the HD 7970M compare to newer discrete GPUs?

A: The HD 7970M scores within 0.1% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690, within 0.4% of the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, and within 1.1% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 in OpenCL tests.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each GPU?

A: The HD 7970M averages 17019, based on its single recorded OpenCL test. The RX Vega 11 averages 14385 across its three recorded tests (OpenCL, Metal, and Vulkan).

Q: Does the RX Vega 11 have any benchmark where it excels?

A: In Geekbench Metal, the RX Vega 11 scores 17086, which is higher than the HD 7970M's OpenCL score of 17019. However, the HD 7970M has no recorded Metal score for direct comparison.

Q: How do the power requirements differ?

A: The HD 7970M has a TDP of 100 W and uses an MXM module slot with no power connectors. The RX Vega 11 has a TDP of 15 W and is an integrated GPU with no power connectors.

Q: What are the memory configurations?

A: The HD 7970M has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256 bit bus with 153.6 GB/s bandwidth. The RX Vega 11 uses system shared memory with a system dependent bandwidth.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon HD 7970M wins in raw OpenCL compute performance, and by a significant margin. Its 17019 score versus 12525 represents a 35.9% advantage, and its nearest rivals include the GTX 690, RX 7600 XT, and RTX 3070, all of which are discrete graphics cards. This makes it the clear choice for OpenCL-based applications such as compute acceleration, rendering tasks, or any workload that leverages the GPU's shading units and dedicated memory bandwidth. The 256 bit memory bus and 153.6 GB/s bandwidth give it a structural advantage for data-heavy operations.

The HD 7970M also wins in pixel throughput, delivering 27.20 GPixel/s versus 11.20 GPixel/s for the RX Vega 11. Its texture rate of 68.00 GTexel/s also edges out the RX Vega 11's 61.60 GTexel/s. For tasks that involve heavy rasterization or texture filtering, the HD 7970M has the edge.

The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 wins in power efficiency and platform simplicity. Its 15 W TDP is drastically lower than the HD 7970M's 100 W, making it suitable for thin-and-light laptops or compact systems where cooling and battery life are priorities. As an integrated GPU, it requires no separate MXM module and uses system shared memory, simplifying system design.

The RX Vega 11 also wins in API modernity. It supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3, while the HD 7970M is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. For newer games or applications that rely on modern API features, the RX Vega 11 is more forward-compatible. Its Metal score of 17086 also indicates strong performance on Apple platforms, though the HD 7970M has no recorded Metal result.

In terms of benchmark breadth, the RX Vega 11 has recorded scores in three different APIs (OpenCL, Metal, Vulkan), while the HD 7970M has only one (OpenCL). This means the RX Vega 11 is more versatile in the database, but the HD 7970M wins the only test where both are measured.

The transistor density and process node also favor the RX Vega 11, which uses a 12 nm process with 23.5M transistors per mm² versus 13.2M per mm² for the HD 7970M. However, this architectural efficiency does not translate into higher OpenCL performance, as the HD 7970M's larger number of shading units (1280 versus 704) and dedicated VRAM prove decisive.

For users with a specific OpenCL workload, the HD 7970M is the winner without qualification. For users who need a low-power integrated solution with modern API support and acceptable compute performance, the RX Vega 11 is the better fit. The database records one direct comparison, and the HD 7970M wins it.